A significant step was taken in making the long-delayed Wade Park project in Frisco a reality last week.
Frisco’s Planning & Zoning Commission unanimously approved new design plans for the 112-acre plot at the southwest corner of the Dallas North Tollway and Lebanon Road. The plans will be set before the city council, which will vote on them in September.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, years of litigation tied up the effort to build a mixed-use development at Wade Park. It was first launched by Atlanta-based developer Stan Thomas in 2014, however, he foreclosed on the property a few years later.
The project was rebranded The Mix in November 2022 by the new owner, New York-based JVP Management. A multibillion-dollar master-planned community combining 5.5 million square feet of residential, retail, and office space has since been expected to go up.
As it currently stands, the vision for The Mix encompasses over 2 million square feet of office spaces, 350,000 square feet designated for retail, a 120,000-square-foot medical office complex, and a 40,000-square-foot grocery store.
The development will also have two hotels, a clubhouse, and a combined total of almost 3,300 townhomes and urban living units.
The revised layout also dedicates 46% of the property to residential buildings, which is why the project has to undergo a zoning change.
“I am in support of increasing the residential mix,” Commissioner Ed Kelly said during a meeting last Tuesday, according to The Dallas Morning News. “I’m happy to see it finally come together.”
On a similar note, Commissioner Jon Kendall declared, “I’m OK with the increased residential units because it’s right along the tollway — there is a need for housing in this specific area. We want this project.”
Demand for housing is high in Frisco, with Redfin calling it a very competitive market where listings usually get multiple offers.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Frisco has seen considerable population growth and investment interest — such as from the PGA of America, which moved its headquarters there last August.
While Frisco and other cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area — such as Plano, McKinney, Denton, and Allen — have doubled in size since 2000, Dallas has not seen the same kind of growth.
The City of Dallas has had issues with permitting backlogs at its Development Services Department, resulting in significant delays, as reported by The Dallas Express.
If Frisco city officials greenlight The Mix’s rezoning request, construction will begin on the project’s first phase.
“We’d like to start building this year. As soon as we can get through this process with the city, we are moving forward,” said JVP’s Tim Campbell, who is leading The Mix project, according to the DMN.